Department for International Development

UNRWA: Schools

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of reports that Israel intends to remove United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East schools in East Jerusalem; and whether they intend to make representations to the government of Israel in this regard.

lord bates: UK Officials have contacted UNRWA following media reports surrounding the future of UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem. UNRWA stated that they have not received any official indication that there will be any change to their operation in East Jerusalem.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Syria: Turkey

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about that government reportedly removing olives and olive trees from Afrin Province in Syria to Turkey; and whether they will publish any responses received.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Minister for Europe and the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan, has had a number of recent conversations with his Turkish counterparts over the conflict in Syria, as have his ministerial colleagues and the Prime Minister. We are closely monitoring the situation in North East Syria. Whilst we recognise Turkey's legitimate interest in the security of its borders, it remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war and suffering, provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region, and secures the enduring defeat of Daesh.We are aware of the media reports regarding the removal of olives and olive trees, and are currently working to ascertain the validity and veracity of the allegations.

INF Treaty

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, and what diplomatic steps they have taken, following the suspension of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty by the governments of the United States and Russia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have been discussing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with the US for a number of years as part of our continuous dialogue on security issues. The US also initiated a series of meetings on INF with close Allies in 2017 and 2018, during which we discussed the US approach and exchanged detailed information on the Russian violation and how we might best achieve our shared policy objectives.NATO Allies first expressed concerns about Russian non-compliance with its INF Treaty obligations in 2014. In the last two years, there has been an intensification of Allied activity to encourage Russia to return to compliance.We, along with NATO Allies, support the US decision to suspend its participation in the INF Treaty and start the treaty's formal withdrawal process. A situation whereby the US was fully aiding by the INF Treaty and Russia was not, was not sustainable. Following the US announcement, NATO issued a statement declaring full support for US action and urging Russia to use the six month withdrawal period to return to full and verifiable compliance to preserve the INF Treaty.

Undocumented Migrants: Mediterranean Sea

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they did not agree to take in migrants from Sea-Watch 3 following the collapse of that boat on 19 January.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK does not participate in relocation efforts. The UK Government's approach is instead to resettle refugees directly from source and transit countries, to avoid creating a pull factor. The UK has a strong record of providing protection to the most vulnerable through our resettlement schemes.

Hebron

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Israel’s decision not to renew the mandate of the International Monitoring Force in Hebron.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned by Israel's decision not to extend the mandate for Hebron's international monitoring mission. The mission has been in Hebron for over 20 years and fulfilled an important role in reducing tensions in the city between Israeli settlers and Palestinian communities. Our Ambassador to Israel raised our concerns over this decision with the Israeli authorities on 29 January. The Minister for the Middle East discussed our concerns with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 30 January and also expressed these concerns in a Tweet on the 2 February.

Philippines: Drugs

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of overseas development and aid funding they provide to the Philippines which is spent on the public health effects of drug use and abuse, in particular in prisons and detention centres; and what estimate, if any, they have made of the amount of funding that has been provided by international and multinational funds for such purposes.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Official Development Assistance spend allocated to our Embassy in Manila in 2017-18 was £230,000. Of this between £40,000 - £50,000 is being spent on projects relating to public health effects of drug use and abuse. This does not include the Newton Agham Programme or the Prosperity Fund which are not focused on health.The projects are not specifically aimed at prisons and detention centres, although our Embassy in Manila does make regular consular representations on prison and detention centres in the Philippines.In addition to bilateral spend, in 2016, the Philippines received £8.36 million of UK aid through multilateral organisations. This included funding on the health sector.We do not have an estimate of spend by international and multinational funds for such purposes.

USA: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the number of vacancies in leadership positions in the government of the United States requiring Senate confirmation and the number of leadership positions filled by officials serving in an acting capacity is having any detrimental impact on UK–US bilateral initiatives and joint activities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We understand that there are a number of nominees for positions in the US Administration still awaiting Senate confirmation. Many of those are currently filled by other individuals in an acting capacity. We have close working relationships with these individuals. Additionally, we are in regular contact with US and British government counterparts across the breadth of our relationship.

Russia: INF Treaty

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Statement on the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 5 February (HL Deb, cols 1495–9), what is their response to the government of Russia's non-compliance with that Treaty; and what assessment they have made of reports of INF Treaty non-compliant launchers being moved onto Europe's eastern borders with Russia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: NATO first expressed concerns about Russian non-compliance with its Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty obligations in 2014. We now fully support the assessment that Russia's covert testing, production and fielding of the 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile system is a material breach of the INF Treaty.We, along with NATO Allies, support the US decision to suspend its participation in the INF Treaty and start the treaty's formal withdrawal process. A situation whereby the US was fully aiding by the INF Treaty and Russia was not, was not sustainable. Following the US announcement, NATO issued a statement declaring full support for US action and urging Russia to use the six month withdrawal period to return to full and verifiable compliance to preserve the INF Treaty.

INF Treaty

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Statement on the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 5 February (HL Deb, cols 1495–9),what assessment they have made of whether (1)Germany, (2) Hungary, (3) Poland, (4) Bulgaria, (5) Slovakia, and (6) the Czech Republic have destroyed or dismantled any INF Treaty missiles they hold; and if so, whetherthey are concernedby those countries' actions in that regard.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Only the US, Russia and a small number of other Soviet successor states are bound by the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The Treaty initially eliminated all of their intermediate-range (500km-5,500km) ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles. By 1991, all US and Soviet Union missiles covered by the Treaty had been eliminated.All NATO Allies support the finding of the US that Russia is now in material breach of the Treaty, citing its covert testing, production and fielding of 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile systems. We are working closely with Allies to review the security implications of Russian intermediate-range missiles and will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the Alliance's overall deterrence and defence posture.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Neighbourhood Development Plans

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Neighbourhood Plans have been adopted since 2011; and of those, how many have applied to unparished areas.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: While we do not formally monitor the production of neighbourhood plans, our records suggest that over 700 neighbourhood plans have been adopted (made) since 2011. Of these around 40 were for unparished areas.

Housing: Sales

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government working group on mortgages and insurance to report.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) working group have produced an agreed definition of MMC to ensure consistency across the sector and make it easier for all stakeholders to identify particular MMC typologies. These definitions will be launched in the coming weeks.The group continue working to finalise details of the unified quality assurance platform. This platform will better integrate existing quality assurance and warranty processes to provide a single assurance process for assessing all new technologies used for homes built using MMC and ensure these homes can access insurance and mortgages on the same basis as traditionally built homes. The single assurance platform is expected to be launched in the Spring.

Electric Cables: Planning Permission

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplanning requirements apply to the installation of telegraph poles outside homes.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Proposals for new telecommunications infrastructure require planning permission, either through nationally set permitted development rights or through a planning application to the local planning authority. In England, telecommunications operators are able to install new ground-based infrastructure such as telegraph poles and mobile masts under permitted development rights, subject to various size limits. These rights are subject to a prior approval process (except for infrastructure relating to fixed-line broadband) under which the local planning authority can consider the proposed siting and appearance of the infrastructure. Infrastructure not covered by permitted development rights will require full planning permission, and are assessed against a range of planning criteria as well as policies set out in an adopted development plan, such as a Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan.

Cabinet Office

Electronic Government: Proof of Identity

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have signed up to use GOV.UK Verify; and how many use each identity provider.

lord young of cookham: The number of GOV.UK Verify accounts (historic and current) is published on the GOV.UK website and is regularly updated. As of 10 February 2019, there were 3,617,585 GOV.UK Verify user accounts. Details of the number of GOV.UK Verify user accounts with each identity provider is commercially sensitive information and cannot be released.

Electronic Government: Proof of Identity

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Royal Mail has ceased to be an identity provider for GOV.UK Verify; and why Royal Mail is listed on the GOV.UK Verifywebsite.

lord young of cookham: In the Written Ministerial Statement of 9 October 2018 on the GOV.UK Verify programme, it was confirmed that contracts had been signed with a number of private sector identity providers.Royal Mail had previously been one of the GOV.UK Verify private sector identity providers. However, Royal Mail did not sign the new contract. Users are therefore unable to create a new GOV.UK Verify account with Royal Mail.Royal Mail remain listed as a previous identity provider while users who hold an existing account with Royal Mail remain able to sign into GOV.UK Verify with this account. If a user does not have a GOV.UK Verify account, they are not offered Royal Mail as an identity provider to verify their identity.

Department for Education

Further Education: Teachers

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of teaching staff in further education colleges do not have a teaching qualification.

lord agnew of oulton: The ‘College staff survey 2018’, attached, indicated that 7% of teachers in general and specialist further education (FE) colleges did not hold a teaching qualification. Some of these teachers were studying for a teaching qualification at the time of the survey, which is shown in the attached table.There is no requirement for teachers in FE colleges to hold a teaching qualification. FE providers have the flexibility to recruit and deploy teachers who have a range of skills and industry expertise. 



College_staff_survey_2018_main_report
(PDF Document, 2.55 MB)




HL13473_teaching_qualifications_table
(Word Document, 57 KB)

Schools: Vocational Guidance

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many publicly-funded schools have complied with the obligation introduced with effect from 1 September 2018 to publish (1) details about the careers programme they deliver to pupils from Year 8 until Year 13, and (2) contact details for their careers leader; when they intend to review the information published by those schools; and how theymeasure the success of careers programmes in schools.

lord agnew of oulton: The department has published statutory guidance that explains what schools must do to comply with the new duty to publish information about the careers programme and to name their careers leader and contact details on their website from September 2018. The guidance, which is attached, is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-provision-for-young-people-in-schools.Information about the number of schools that are compliant with the statutory guidance is not held centrally.The success of careers programmes in schools is monitored through the progress that schools and colleges are making against the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance. The Careers & Enterprise Company publish an annual ‘State of the nation’ report showing this progress. The attached 2017-18 report, published in November 2018, shows that the average school or college is now fully achieving 2.13 Benchmarks.We expect the support that we are putting in place, including Careers Hubs and Careers Leader training, to result in significant progress over the next twelve months. Ofsted also takes account of this statutory guidance when developing its approach to assessing careers provision. Ofsted’s current school inspection handbook, which is attached, sets out that inspectors take into account careers guidance provided by secondary schools when making their judgement on the personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils. 



HL13484_Careers_guidance_provision
(PDF Document, 741.25 KB)




HL13484_State_of_the_nation_report_2018
(PDF Document, 2.56 MB)




HL13484_Ofsted_school_inspection_handbook
(PDF Document, 1.2 MB)

Veterinary Medicine: Training

lord trees: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to build capacity in the Higher Education system to address the shortage of veterinary surgeons in England.

viscount younger of leckie: The government recognises the importance of ensuring there are sufficient skilled graduates to meet industry demand. We are working with different veterinary sector stakeholders, to look at ways of increasing veterinary school capacity and the number of graduates in all UK vet schools going forward.The government also subsidises the costs of teaching high-cost subjects such as veterinary medicine, where tuition fee income does not meet the costs of teaching. This is supported through the teaching grant allocated annually to providers via the Office for Students.In 2018/19, the recurrent teaching grant provided by the government totals £1,290 million, of which £681 million is specifically targeted at supporting high-cost subjects, including veterinary science. This is currently around £10,000 per veterinary science student. English higher education providers are autonomous institutions. Their institutional autonomy, which includes decisions as to what they teach, is protected by the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.However, the lifting of student number controls in 2015/16 means that there is no longer an artificial cap on the numbers of students that higher education providers are able to recruit, including for veterinary science courses. There has been progress in the sector in increasing places for veterinary students. The first cohort of students to graduate with the University of Surrey's new veterinary degree is scheduled for July 2019, thereby bringing more domestically trained vets in to the profession. Alongside this, the new Harper and Keele Veterinary School will be commencing its new 5 year degree course in 2020.